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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. board — a committee
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lean — thin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bound — tied together
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spell — a short time
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rest — a break
  18. bound — certain
  19. cue — a hint
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bound — obliged
  22. board — to get on
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com